Cylindrical containers have been used for several years as attractive, aesthetically pleasing, packages for a wide variety of products. To illustrate, such containers have been used as packages for powder puffs, dusting powder, talcum powder, and other toiletries. Such containers have been formed from corrugated, or other low strength, paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,149,625, granted Mar. 7, 1939 to Hans Pabst, discloses a cylindrical container including a cylindrical body formed by inserting lock 8 on the belt (or body) into slot 7. A bottom closure for sealing the lower end of the container is formed by securing smaller disc 2 to larger disc 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the Pabst patent. A similar closure for sealing the upper end of the container is formed by securing two discs together, as shown in FIG. 4 of the Pabst patent. A slot-like, grooved rim 2-3 is formed in each closure to receive teeth 4, 5 on the belt. The teeth 4, 5 fold about score lines 6 and slip into grooved rim 2, 3 to secure the closures at the opposite ends of the cylindrical container.
The cylindrical container shown in Pabst, however, relies upon the proper alignment, and interengagement, of teeth 4, 5 and grooved rims 2, 3 of the closures. Such interengagement, once established, would have to be destroyed in order to open the container, thus precluding repeated usage of the container as a sewing box, food storage box, general storage medium, etc. Also, because of the necessity of accurate alignment of the teeth with the grooves in the end closures, there are many components to manufacture and assemble, the body of the container is relatively weak, and the end closures are of reduced strength because the two discs, for each end closure, may exhibit a tendency to separate from each other.
Other cylindrical containers, executed in paper, are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,297,152, granted to Hackney, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,025 granted to Ferrey et al. These containers are made of two, or more, plies of corrugated fiber board; these plies are not secured to each other, and allow slippage during the assembly process. Ferry et al proposes a peripheral skirt 23, and a band or strap (note column 2, lines 51-54) to resist outward deformation of the container when subjected to loading.
Cylindrical containers have also been used to receive food products, such as fruit cakes, cookies, and the like. While low strength paper was, and is, acceptable for forming small cylindrical containers, with low strength requirements, as used for cosmetics, the food products called for better looking, sturdier, more sanitary, and longer lasting cylindrical containers. Cylindrical containers, executed in metal, and commonly known as "tin containers", have dominated the up-scale food packaging industry for years. Such tin containers are sturdy, attractive, can be re-used, and present a neat, shiny, and sanitary appearance that compliments the food product retained therein.
While the "tin containers" are widely used, the containers are costly, hard to ship, space consuming to store, and are thus limited, by practical considerations, for use with up-scale, relatively expensive food products that can be sold at a premium price. Additionally, most of the tin containers are made abroad, and significant problems are encountered with ordering and shipping to match production schedules. Food packers, and similar large scale users of tin containers, have thus sought alternative packages, of equal strength and durability, for several years, but without noticeable success. Also, printing upon the "tin containers" is difficult and costly.